Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/132

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

county, Virginia, and had nine children ; CaroHne May Dickenson, the sixth child, married Dr. Charles Bruce Morton, of Sol- diers' Rest, Orange county, Virginia, and they are the parents of Rev. William Jack- son Morton.

Philip Buckner, of Louisa county, was the second son of Richard Buckner, clerk of Essex county, Virginia, and grandson of John Buckner, the emigrant. His wife, Jane ( Aylett-Robison) Buckner, was a sister of John Aylett, of King William county, and widow of Christopher Robison at the time of her marriage. Philip and Jane Buckner had seven children, one of them, Thomas ( I ), the eldest son, the ancestor of Rev. Wil- liam Jackson Morton. Aylett, the youngest son, was the ancestor of General Simon Boli- var Buckner, soldier and statesman, gradu- ate of West Point, Mexican war hero, in- spector general of Kentucky in i860, cast his fortunes with the Confederacy, surren- dered Fort Donelson to Grant after a gallant flefence, was governor of Kentucky, 1887- 1891 and 1896, vice-president candidate on the ticket of the gold Democrac3% nominated at Indianapolis. John Buckner, of Gloucester county, is the earliest mentioned of that name in Virginia annals. He was granted land in 1667, was a member of Petsworth parish, Gloucester, was member of the house of burgesses in 1683, and clerk of Glouces- ter county. He died in 1695, leaving sons, William, John (2). Richard, and Thomas. Richard Buckner owned five hundred acres of land in Rappahannock county, part of a tract called "Golden Vale." Essex county was formed from Rappahannock in 1692, and Richard Buckner was appointed the first clerk of the county. He was also clerk of the house of burgesses in 1714. Pie left sons : Richard Philip, John and William. These sons and their descendants were con- spicuous in the affairs of the colony and state and the founders of the Caroline county branch, and are now found in nearly every southern and western state.

George Morton was a brother of Hon. William Morton and of Hon. Jackson Mor- ton and Hon. Jeremiah Morton, four boys, who, orphaned early, were reared by their grandmother. At her death, Jeremiah, who loved her dearly, insisted upon placing under her head, in her coffin, the old family Bible, which in life had been her constant companion. Thus was lost the family rec-

ord. The boys were then adopted by their great-uncle, William Morton, who reared and educated them and at his death left them his property, the largest share going to the elder brother, William, who died without issue, and his large fortune went to the next brother, Jackson.

Hon. William Morton, the eldest of the four brothers, was educated at William and Mary College, and served for thirty years as an honored member of the Virginia legis- lature, representing his native county, Orange, in that body.

Jackson Morton was a graduate of Wil- liam and Mary College, Bachelor of Arts, 1815, moved to Florida; was president of territorial council of Florida many years ; member of constitutional convention and Florida legislature ; general of Florida vol- unteers in Indian wars ; United States navy agent at Pensacola ; presidential elector, 1849; United States senator, 1849-1855 ; member Florida convention, 1861 ; repre- sented Florida in the provisional congress of the Confederate States ; an extensive lum- ber dealer.

His youngest brother, Hon. Jeremiah Morton, was a student at Washington Col- lege, now Washington and Lee University, 1814-1815, graduate of William and Mary, 1819; studied law, practiced with success, but physical infirmities compelled him to retire. He then became a farmer, accumu- lating a large estate. He was elected to the United States house of representatives on the Whig ticket, serving from 1849 to 1851, contemporary with his brother Jackson. In 1861 he was a member of the Virginia con- vention which decreed that Virginia was no longer a member of Union of States. Mr. Morton followed the Confederate cause with all his soul, sold his lands, but retained his slaves, putting all his means in Confederate States bonds. Ruined by the failure of the Confederacy he was cared for in his old age b}' a daughter at whose home "Lessland," Orange county, he died, November 28, 1878, in his eightieth year. He was a prominent member of the Episcopal church, and a trus- tee of the Theological Seminary of Virginia, at Alexandria.

Dr. George Morton, third of the four brothers, was educated in early years at the school of Rev. Charles O'Neill, who was the preacher at Pine Stake Church, Orange county, \'irginia, and taught school near